Gophers No. 6 in preseason men's hockey poll; 2 other MN teams ranked

The Gophers face St. Cloud State in an exhibition Oct. 5 before heading to Las Vegas for the Ice Breaker Tournament.

Minnesota's Mike Koster celebrates his goal against Michigan State during the first period on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, at Munn Arena in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Minnesota Gophers men's hockey team has the second-best odds to win the national championship in 2024-25, but that doesn't mean they're ranked in the top five entering the season.

in a bit of a shocker, the Gophers are No. 6 in the preseason USCHO top-20 rankings. Defending national champion Denver is No. 1, followed by Boston College, Boston University, Michigan State and North Dakota.

Preseason @USCHO Men’s Rankings 🏒#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/UpYJroa9tj

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) September 23, 2024

Minnesota reached the NCAA tournament last season and beat Omaham in the first round before falling 6-3 to Boston University in the second round. The Frozen Four featured Denver, Boston, Boston College and Michigan, with Denver defeating Boston College 2-1 in overtime in the national championship game.

The Gophers finished last season ranked No. 7 in the final USCHO poll.

Other Minnesota teams in the preseason top-20 are St. Cloud State at No. 16 and Minnesota-Duluth at No. 18.

The Gophers face St. Cloud State in an exhibition game in St. Cloud on Oct. 5. The regular season begins with Minnesota participating in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Las Vegas on Oct. 11-12. They face Air Force on Oct. 11 and then UMass or Omaha on Oct. 12.